


Afternoon Bath

by Zephyrfox



Series: Lazy Days [2]
Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: 007 Fest 2020, Domestic Fluff, Don't copy to another site, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:14:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25033774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zephyrfox/pseuds/Zephyrfox
Summary: James and Q had a lovely, lazy morning. Their bath might prove to be the best part of the day.
Relationships: James Bond/Q
Series: Lazy Days [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1812973
Comments: 14
Kudos: 58
Collections: 007 Fest Fancreations





	Afternoon Bath

**Author's Note:**

> For 007 Fest 2020, Food Day!

Q stretched in bed, relishing the ache of well-used muscles. They had spent a lovely morning lazing in bed — among other things, Q thought to himself with a snicker — and now was time to move on to the next stage of their day at home.

James was getting their bath ready, and had warned Q not to come in until it was ready. Q had to admit he was dying of curiosity. What in the world was James doing in there? Still, he had his own preparations to make. He was in charge of refreshments. 

He got out of bed, incidentally displacing Dart, to the cat’s obvious disapproval. He coaxed her toward his hand so he could pet her in apology. “Sorry, love. I’ve got to get up.” The cat deigned to forgive him, so he felt himself released to start his task.

Q looked down at himself. Should he get dressed while he prepared their nibbles? He had gotten into the habit of wandering around the flat naked. He really should have suspected that James was a closet nudist. James was as comfortable nude as he was clothed. Maybe it was a military thing? He knew that privacy was at a premium on board ship, and James had served in the Royal Navy a number of years before being seconded to MI6. No, he decided. He would just grab an apron.

In the kitchen, Q set up a cheese board, then added some fruit. Grapes and strawberries were easy, but he wanted to go a with a bit of a flair for the apples. He turned one into a swan and set it on a nest made from the wedges of the second. He glanced at the clock. Fiddling with the swan had taken more time than he’d thought, so he simply sliced the kiwi and orange. Next up were crackers, and they were easy enough. He pulled a few cartons out of the cabinet and arranged a decent amount of crackers around the cheese and fruit. He stepped back and eyed his creation. It wasn’t picture perfect, but it would do. 

The last things he needed were a bottle of wine — hmmm. Q stopped and considered. No, he’d better make it two. Just in case. He uncorked two bottles of their favorite red blend and left them to breathe while he got a pair of glasses out. There. Now everything was ready, and he only had to wait for James. 

How long did it take to fill a bathtub, anyway?

* * *

James wiped his wet hand on a towel and inspected his handiwork. The bath’s temperature was just right, and it would stay just right, thanks to the thermometer. Bath filled, check. Bubbles — he eyed the tub — lots. Underwater jets set the blanket of bubbles on the surface undulating slowly. Sensual oils, check. They filled the air with a soothing, complementary scent of sandalwood and orange. If Q were a mark, he might choose rose and vanilla for a romantic setting, but Q was anything but an unsuspecting mark needing to be overwhelmed with romance. And he had a nice, unscented massage oil sitting nearby that could double for lube. If needed, of course. 

He paused for a moment, remembering earlier that morning in bed, and felt his cock twitch. He snorted to himself. _Down, boy._ He had no need to be over eager. Q enjoyed sex as much as he did. James wasn’t sure if Q was quite as much of a hedonist as he was, but Q was willing to go along with James’ ideas. If Q wasn’t a hedonist now, he would become one with James’ influence. He turned that thought over in his head, examining it from all angles. He’d been well trained for seduction, but that was work. This, though… This was different. It was possibly… He swallowed, suddenly unnerved. Could it be permanent? He braced himself for the inevitable feeling of being trapped, but there was nothing there but a gentle assurance that he poked at tentatively. _Was it love?_ He huffed at himself in annoyance at that thought. He was being foolish. He cared for and trusted Q, love didn’t need to come into it.

Anyway. Candles were next. Here he scanned the area around the bath, carefully inspecting their placement once more. It wouldn’t do for one of them to accidentally get knocked over if things got… energetic. The candles were arrayed along the flat edges surrounding the tub, with a few scattered on shelves and on the counter. Yes, he thought they were all pretty safe, and there was plenty of room for Q’s promised fruit and cheese tray and the wine. Movement at the corner of his eye caught his attention. An inky black paw poked at one of those candles. _Fuck._ It was Dashiell, the younger of Q’s two cats. He bent down to scoop the offending furline off the floor. “No, you don’t, sweetheart. Your daddy would kill me if I let you get singed.”

He deposited the cat outside of the bathroom and made sure the door was firmly shut this time. Now, was that the only one? Had Dart gotten in as well? There were a few hiding places for an intrepid stalker in the room, but a quick check under the cabinet and behind the laundry basket proved no sign of the tortoiseshell. He heaved a sigh of relief and checked the time. _Damn._ Q would be wondering what was taking so long… 

Grabbing the stack of towels off the counter and placing them near the end of the bath was the last thing he needed to do. Their robes were hanging on hooks nearby, with their slippers set underneath. All he had to do now was call Q in.

* * *

Q placed the nibbles tray in the bedroom on the dresser and went back to the kitchen. There, he juggled the bottles for a moment, until he got one securely in the crook of his arm and the other in his hand. He grabbed the glasses with his free hand and returned to the bedroom. He swore as he almost tripped over Dash just as he entered the room. Dash swore back at him in disgruntled cat, and jumped into the cat tree to groom a shoulder at him in a huff. Dart looked down, unimpressed at the fuss, from her perch in the top of the cat tree.

“I don’t know what you’re so cross about,” Q groused at him, as upset about nearly stepping on the cat as he was about nearly getting spilled wine and broken glass everywhere. “You almost got clonked by a wine bottle, then we’d have been at the vet the rest of the day.”

Dash apparently didn’t care about his near miss. _Cats._

Q didn’t have time for further conversation, because the bathroom door opened, and a beloved head poked out. _James._ He still got a fluttery feeling in his stomach. _Was it love?_ He’d once thought it was only nerves, but they’d been together long enough to be over that. “Are you ready?”

James hesitated. “Yes, just… Let me have the tray and the wine, I want to get everything perfect.”

And wasn’t that just typical of James? Q couldn’t deny that the effort James took to make sure they had a special moment warmed him. “Of course.” He passed over the tray first, and didn’t even try to see past James into the room beyond. He wasn’t expecting the door to close almost on his nose, though.

A minute later, the door opened to show a sheepish James. “Sorry about that, the door slipped.”

Q snorted. The thing was, he knew it was true. That door slammed sometimes when being shut. One of the reasons they seldom closed it. No need to risk waking a sleeping partner — or worse, startling an overtrained agent on a hair-trigger. Shrugging a shoulder, he dismissed the issue, and instead merely asked, “Do you need more time with the tray, or are you ready for the wine?”

Relief spread across James’ face. “The wine please. And the glasses?” 

Once Q had handed them over, James disappeared back into the bathroom. This time, at least, he shut the door slowly. 

* * *

James fussed with the placement of the wine and glasses, swearing to himself. _Stupid door._ He should replace the hinges. But he’d thought that the last time the door had slammed shut, after a breeze had swept through the flat from the open windows. It had been a damn good thing Q hadn’t been home. As it was, James had almost put a few holes in the bathroom door. The only good thing was that Q hadn’t seemed to mind the door slamming shut in his face. 

And Q was patiently waiting for him to get himself under control and stop dithering. _Right, then._ Why was he waiting? And why the hell did he feel like this was a momentous occasion? He took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. Onward.

He opened the door again, and seeing Q standing there, waiting, caused his heart to thump. James swallowed down the feeling. He almost called up his mission mindset to cover his unexpected nerves, but that was the last thing he ever wanted to do with Q. He smiled, completely unaware that it wasn’t the suave, in control smile he was striving for. It was a goofy, love-struck smile.

Q smiled back. “Are you ready?”

James nodded as he held up a cautionary hand. “Yes, but first, close your eyes as you go in. Don’t open them until I tell you.”

“Fine, but I keep my glasses on, and if I fall I’ll gut you,” Q said, amusement coloring his tone. But Q closed his eyes without further complaint, and stood waiting for James.

It sometimes awed James how much Q trusted him. Yes, he was skilled at getting his marks to trust him, but that was work. And he’d never tried to influence Q like that. He put a gentle hand around Q’s shoulders and guided him into the bathroom. After carefully making sure the door shut — and didn’t slam — he positioned Q in the center of the room, facing the bath. He leaned down and nuzzled Q behind the ear, then whispered, “Open your eyes and look.”

He moved so that he could see Q properly. He was glad he had. The reflection of what Q saw showed so clearly on his face. James was damn proud of himself for putting that look of wonder on his Quartermaster’s face.

“It’s… this is amazing, James,” Q said, softly, turning to embrace him. “Thank you.” 

James held Q tightly and attempted to get his rioting emotions under control. Trying not to break the mood, he gave Q a soft kiss and said, “I’ll go in first, and you can sit in front of me?”

“Hmmm,” Q hummed against his neck and nodded. “Sounds like a good idea.”

It took more effort than James liked to step away from Q and into the bath. Once he was settled, it was only a moment before Q was leaning back into his arms, as if Q hadn’t wanted to be parted from him either. 

They stayed like that for a few minutes, deep in the water’s warm embrace, until Q spoke. His soft voice was pitched to disturb the quiet as little as possible. “Would you like something?”

“Hmmm....” James tightened his hold around Q. The warmth and closeness had soothed him, allowing himself to control his emotions once more, and now he felt almost sleepy again. Everything was right in his world. “Pick for me?” He felt the vibrations of Q’s laugh through his chest and smiled. He was tempted to nuzzle behind Q’s ear again, but that wouldn’t get him fed any more quickly.

Q sat up, water cascading off his shoulders in a mini waterfall, and pulled the food tray closer. He twisted around and huffed, irritated by something. James could only see part of Q’s face. Q pushed against James’ leg. “Put your knee up, please? And I’ll lean against you.” 

He complied, and a few wriggles later — including an almost disastrous knee in his groin — Q was settled crosswise in the tub. It was a damn good thing the tub was wide and his Quartermaster was so limber. It wasn’t as nice as having Q pressed against his front, but it would do. There was the added benefit of being able to see Q as they talked. And talk they did, of inconsequential things, in between feeding each other bites of food and sips of wine. 

There were only a few bites of food left when James picked up the last piece of cheese and fed it to Q, enjoying the way Q’s teeth nipped at his fingers. In turn, he opened his mouth for the final strawberry. He sucked at Q’s fingers, his tongue swirling around the tips to get every trace of juice. Q’s eyes darkened, and a pink tongue darted out to moisten his lips. James leaned forward and followed the tongue with his own as he kissed Q. He hadn’t been this happy in a long time. It was a startling thought. 

Eventually he sat back and pulled Q against him. Q’s head fell back against his shoulder, and they just sat there, contented. 

_“I love you.”_

James wasn’t sure which of them had said it, or if he had only thought it.

It was enough for now.


End file.
